Bea Fields Companies USA provides leadership coaching and training to over 1000 local and global business leaders. In addition it provides Generation Y Training,executive coaching ,executive leadership coaching program and team Coaching programs.

BLOGGING! A Way to Seize Opportunities That Other Leaders Normally Miss

There is a great debate going on out there in the world around the question: Should leaders be blogging?

From my perspective, the answer is Yes! Absolutely, as a leader, you should be blogging, and here are the main five reasons why I believe blogging is so important for leaders of today:

1. As a leader, you have a story to tell. As a leader, you are not a carbon copy of anyone else out there in the world. Blogging can give you a mechanism for getting your story about who you are as a leader out into the world. This does not mean that you write a blog that is “all about you”. Instead, you write valuable copy that others can learn from and from reading about your ideas, the public, your customers and your employees can gather a bit of insight into how you think and your views of the world. This will set you apart from other leaders in your own industry and other areas of interest.

2. As a leader, you have something to say to your customers. A blog can serve as a vehicle for you to answer some of the most common questions you get from customers about your products and services. When people get their questions answered, they immediately receive value. If you are the leader of a company, you do have a target market, and by writing about subjects that are of interest to them and answering their frequently asked questions, you will again appear much different than other leaders.

3. If you are a Baby Boomer or a Traditionalist leader, you will connect more with younger careerists. The majority of younger careerists I have interviewed who are in the age category of 20-35 tell me that they read blogs and news feeds every day. They have even gone so far as to tell me that they believe that static websites are on their way out and that a blog is a must have tool for connecting with the public. As you well know, all blogs offer the public the ability to connect by commenting, and this interaction will attract a younger demographic who will connect with you, become more interested in buying from you and who may be an A player who wants to work for your company.

4. Some leaders are blogging, but most are not. This reason in and of itself should inspire you to want to blog. Most leaders say they don’t have time to blog or don’t think it is necessary. If you are blogging even one time per week, you are in the minority of leaders who blog, and this will draw a sharp contrast between you and other leaders. As a result, you will be presented with opportunities that other leaders will simply miss. It’s that simple!

5. As a leader, if you are blogging, you will be more approachable and transparent, giving your customers the chance to give you feedback. Because of all that has gone on in our world over the last four to six years, people have become very skeptical about leaders in high positions, and they are prone to scrutinize leaders in high places without knowing anything about them. As you blog, people will begin to feel as if they can approach you and that you are becoming a see-through leader, and this is what the world is craving right now. As you become more accessible, the public will begin to comment back and will actually help your company’s products and services become stronger.

If you are a leader, and you are reading this post, a common concern that comes up is around time…when will you be able to do this? One quick solution is to talk your post into a recording device and ask an assistant to transcribe that into a blog OR you could simply record 2-3 minutes of thoughts and have a podcast only blog (which is great, because the public then gets a chance to hear your voice). Once you get accustomed to the blogging process, it really only takes about 30 minutes to write a solid, thoughtful post. I believe it’s worth the time and effort.